A Conversation with Albin lee Meldau
An arena-conquering star and Grammy-nominated artist in his homeland of Sweden, the half-British Albin Lee Meldau is the timeless, heartfelt singer-songwriter you need to know. Having gained global traction following multiple BBC Radio 2 A-lists, BBC Radio 1 support from Greg James and Huw Stephens, a Top 40 Dutch radio hit, plays on Elton John’s Rocket Hour and shows across the globe, today sees Albin Lee Meldau share his brand new single “When You’re Here” as he builds momentum ahead of his new album to be released in the winter.
“When You’re Here” shows that the depth of Albin’s songwriting ability can powerfully connect with international audiences. It’s a song which complements the classic tropes of romance – love and loss, tenderness and remorse – with equally timeless music rich with captivating melodies, warm instrumentation and the stirring emotions of his affecting voice. It’s sophisticated adult pop born from real emotions, from the highs (“You sleep the whole night without fear when you’re here”) to the lows (“Should’ve held on tight but I just let you go”).
NSGs Billy Vitch caught up with Lee to talk about his new single, his love of football and how his music career all began.
Billy: Good morning Albin and how are you, what have you been doing today, and how’s that going?
Albin: Hello and good morning, I’m very well thank you! I had a nice little swim by the beach and then I went to the pet shop with my dog to get a new leash. My girlfriend insisted on treating the dog with a doggy ice cream, and so all three of us enjoyed an ice cream in the sun. Lovely day so far!
Billy: Where did you grow up, what was your childhood like and does where you are from influence your music much and if so, how?
Albin: I grew up with divorced parents between Gothenburg and a town called Åsa, both located on the west coast of Sweden. I had a good childhood and although we didn’t have much money, I never lacked anything growing up. It was a musical home filled with love and freedom to express yourself. This definitely made a big impact on my music. Growing up, I was always encouraged to create and “wrong” simply didn’t exist.
Billy: You have just released your new single titled “When You’re Here“. Could you tell us a bit about it, what’s it about and how did it come to be?
Albin: “When You’re Here” was written in London with the wonderful Eg White on a rainy autumn day in London a couple of years back. We wrote the songs for my upcoming album at his house and just kept trying until we were happy. This whole journey of working and writing with Eg has been such an honour and I’m so happy to finally release what we’ve been working on. This song is about regrets, desire and loss… how good it feels to be near that someone, and how awful it feels like when you’re not. It’s really about the things we prioritise and the way we live our lives. The song is very simple and straightforward, but I like that and I think it came out great!
Billy: How would you describe your sound?
Albin: I try not to think about it too much and just make the music I love hearing myself. Just like Elvis once said, “It’s basically sped-up blues and gospel“. For this upcoming album, there’s a lot of London in the sound. It was written there and made very much with my dad’s old favourites in mind— like Aswad, Manu Chao and Steel Pulse. But of course, it’s still just me and Eg in a house in White City. He wrote a song I love with Duffy called “Warwick Avenue“. Imagine some kind of sound similar to that, maybe!
Billy: How did your music journey begin?
Albin: My mother used to teach music in schools and my father also plays, so naturally, I started at an early age. I played the trumpet as a kid and joined many bands, and joined the choir, but really it started when I was around 22 years old—busking around everywhere to make a living for myself.
Billy: What made you want to be a musician as opposed to any other career?
Albin: I always wanted to play football but I’m honestly terrible at it, so this was the next best thing I could do. It was actually the only thing that didn’t bore me to death or where I was absolutely rubbish.
Billy: How do you write your songs, do you have a specific process?
Albin: To be honest with you, not really, no. Nowadays it’s rare for me to write alone but it does happen. I have a few people I work with regularly. I wish there was something magical about the process, but basically, it’s just hard work and dedication. I write A LOT of music, as maybe 1 in 10 songs can be used. So I just keep on writing and working on my songs, which I fortunately, genuinely, love doing.
Billy: If you could sit down with three people from history, past or present, who would they be and why?
Albin: Mikel Arteta, Patrick Vieira and Arsene Wenger. Why? Simple. Arsenal fan.
Billy: Name three bands or artists you think we really need to check out.
Albin: Hmm, that’s a great question! I’d say the Teskey Brothers. Then old classics—Maybe Leadbelly, and then go full-on crazy with Burning Spear. Thank me later!
Billy: What do you think is the meaning of life?
Albin: Fuck knows. But I’d say watch Arsenal win something and devour a really good barbecue. Is that an ok answer?
Billy: We’re a UK-based publication, based in Liverpool. Have you ever visited Liverpool and do you have any plans of performing here in the near future?
Albin: I’m sorry to say I’ve never been to Liverpool but I really hope to visit and play there very soon!
Billy: How is the rest of 2023 looking for Albin Lee Meldau?
Albin: I’ll be touring, releasing more music and then just trying to enjoy myself and my life fully. That might actually be the real meaning to life.
Billy: Thank you so much for your time. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Albin: I’d like to thank you for having me and I hope you all get to enjoy this beautiful summer ahead! Take care and until next time! Xx Albin
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